Compression bandage with tightening means

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a strip of bandaging material having Velcro® strips at either end on opposite sides of the material. An absorbent pad is fixed near one end and on the side opposite the Velcro® strip. On the side opposite the absorbent pad, an S hook is provided with one end fastened to the material and the other end free. The absorbent pad is located over the wound and the longer end of material is wound around the extremity and fixed in place with the Velcro® stripe at the near end of the material. The remaining material is passed through the hook and pulled back in order to apply pressure to the wound and reduce blood loss. The remainder of the material is wrapped around the extremity and secured in place with the Velcro® strip on the far end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The current compression bandages that are employed to give first aid totrauma wounds are awkward and difficult to adequately tighten securelyover the wound. For traumas that are aggressively bleeding, thistightening is necessary.

2. Discussion of Prior Art

Past tightening devices that are attached to trauma bandages do notallow a large force to be placed on the tightening device. In addition,the past bandages needed hand tied knots to fasten the bandage to thewound, resulting in loosening of the bandage on the trauma.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The compression bandage with tightening means is based on the use of aelastic bandage roll that has a absorbent pad attached near one end,each end of the elastic roll having male Velcro® strips (the trademarkfor one type of hook and loop fastener system having the male ormicro-hook characteristics) to allow closure, in the initial and finalapplication, and a metal hook attached through the elastic roll andabsorbent pad attached thereto. The application of the absorbent pad toa trauma seals that wound, the initial Velcro® strip allowing placementof the pad on the wound. The elastic roll, after wrapping once aroundthe extremity, is engaged into the hook sewn into the elastic bandageand absorbent pad. The elastic bandage is then pulled against the hookto give compression to the pad and the wound. The elastic strip is thenstretched and wound around the wound, with the Velcro® strip at the endused to finish fasten. This invention allows an individual to place abandage on a wound and, with one hand if necessary, put a high degree ofcompression on the wound, easily fastening and securing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the invention will be had by reference to thefollowing drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the compression bandage of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the initial step of fixing theabsorbent pad on the bandage into position over the wound;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the second step of passing theremainder of the bandage through the compression “S” hook and applyingtension to the bandage;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the third step of winding theremainder of the bandage around the wound thereby applying additionalpressure to the wound; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the final step of completing thewrapping of the bandage and removably fixing the free end of the bandagein place.

DETAILED DISCUSSION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention, an elastic bandage, comprises a strip of material10 in the form of a roll, at least 3″ to 6″ in width, and 48″ to 60″long. At each end of the material male Velcro® strips 12, 14 arefastened. Near one end of the elastic roll (the ends of the material aredefined as the near end and the far end), a high absorbent pad 16, atleast 5″×8″ is attached. In one embodiment, at the center of the pad,but on the opposite side of the material from the absorbent pad 16, ananchoring point, in a preferred embodiment, an S hook 18 is attached,the base of the S hook attached, the top being free.

After the pad 16 is located over the wound, the elastic roll is wrappedonce around, and the roll is engaged into the free end of the S hook andtightened over the trauma by pulling on the elastic in the oppositedirection of the initial wrap. The use of the Velcro® strips allows easeof situating the pad and closure. The Velcro® strip 12 located at thenear end of the material is located on the same side of the material asthe S hook 18 and initially secures the bandage as the material isinitially wrapped around the extremity, with the hooks in the maleVelcro® strip engaging the material to temporarily hold the bandage inplace as shown in FIG. 2. The material is then passed through the S hook18 as shown in FIG. 3 and pulled to provide increased tension in thematerial, thereby tightening the bandage over the wound and at the sametime acting as a tourniquet to reduce blood loss. The remaining materialis wound over the wound as shown in FIG. 4 and secured in place byengaging the Velcro® strip on the far end of the material with thematerial itself. Note that in order for the near end Velcro® stripe 12to engage the material 10 as shown in FIG. 2 it has to be located on thesame side of the material 10 as the S hook 18 whereas the far endVelcro® strip 14 in order to engage the material must be located on thesame side of the material 10 as the absorbent pad 16.

What is claimed is:
 1. An easily applied and secured compressionbandage, said bandage comprising: a bandage comprising a strip ofmaterial having first and second sides, said material having relativelynear and far ends; a pad, said pad attached to the first side of saidmaterial closer to said near one of said ends; an anchoring point,attached to the second side of said material, for reversing thedirection of wrap of said other end of said material; and a second stripof micro-hooks located on said first side at said far end of saidmaterial, said micro-hooks comprising a portion or a hook and loopfastener system, said material comprises a material having loopsreleasably engageable with said micro-hooks, wherein, when applied, thepad is positioned over a wound on a body or body part, and the far endof said material is passed around the body or body part in one directionof wrap, is passed through the anchoring point and its direction of wrapreversed, is pulled sufficiently tight to deter bleeding and is woundaround until the second strip can be fixed to the material of thebandage.
 2. The compression bandage according to claim 1, wherein saidmaterial is comprised of an elastic material.
 3. The compression bandageaccording to claim 1, wherein said material has a width which is withinthe range 4 inches to six inches.
 4. The compression bandage accordingto claim 1, wherein said material has a length which is within the range48 inches to 60 inches.
 5. The compression bandage according to claim 1,wherein said pad comprises an absorbent pad.
 6. The compression bandageaccording to claim 5, wherein said absorbent pad comprises a pad havingdimensions of at least 5 inches by 8 inches.
 7. The compression bandageaccording to claim 1, wherein said anchoring point comprises an S hookhaving a base and a top, said base attached on said second side of saidmaterial overlaying said pad and said top being free.
 8. The compressionbandage according to claim 7, wherein said S hook is metal.
 9. Thecompression bandage according to claim 1, wherein said anchoring pointis located at the center of the pad but on the opposite side of thematerial from the pad.
 10. An easily applied compression bandage, saidbandage comprising: a bandage comprising a strip of elastic materialhaving first and second sides, said material having relatively near andfar ends; an absorbent pad, said pad attached to the first side of saidmaterial closer to said near one of said ends; and an S hook, said hookhaving a base attached to the second side of said material and a topwhich is free, for reversing the direction of wrap of said other end ofsaid material, wherein, when applied, the absorbent pad is positionedover a wound on a body or body part, and the far end of said material ispassed around the body or body part in one direction of wrap, is passedthrough the said S hook and its direction of wrap reversed, is pulledsufficiently tight to deter bleeding and is wound around and fixed tothe bandage.
 11. The compression bandage according to claim 10 whereinsaid bandage has a first strip of micro-hooks located on said secondside at said near end of said material, said micro-hooks comprising aportion of a hook and loop fastener system, said material comprises amaterial having loops releasably engageable with said micro-hooks. 12.The compression bandage according to claim 10 wherein said bandage has asecond strip of micro-hooks located on said first side at said far endof said material, said micro-hooks comprising a portion of a hook andloop fastener system, said material comprises a material having loopsreleasably engageable with said micro-hooks, for fixing said far end tosaid bandage.
 13. The compression bandage according to claim 10, whereinsaid S hook is located at the center of the pad but on the opposite sideof the material from the pad.
 14. The compression bandage according toclaim 10, wherein said material has a width which is within the range 4inches to six inches.
 15. The compression bandage according to claim 10,wherein said material has a length which is within the range 48 inchesto 60 inches.
 16. An easily applied compression bandage, said bandagecomprising: a bandage comprising a strip of elastic material havingfirst and second sides, said material having relatively near and farends; an absorbent pad, said pad attached to the first side of saidmaterial closer to said near one of said ends; an S hook, said hookhaving a base attached to the second side of said material and a topwhich is free, for reversing the direction of wrap of said other end ofsaid material; said bandage has first and second strips of micro-hooks,said strips of micro-hooks each comprising a portion of a hook and loopfastener system, said material comprises a material having loopsreleasably engageable with said micro-hooks, said first strip ofmicro-hooks located on said second side at said near end of saidmaterial, said second strip of micro-hooks located on said first side atsaid far end of said material for fixing said far end to said bandage,wherein, when applied, the absorbent pad is positioned over a wound on abody or body part, and the far end of the material is passed around thebody or body part in one direction of wrap, the material passing oversaid first strip is fastened thereto temporarily maintaining theposition of the pad over the wound, the far end of the material ispassed through the said S hook and its direction of wrap reversed, thefar end is pulled sufficiently tight to deter bleeding and is woundaround until the second strip can be fixed to the material of thebandage.